Day 2: Bathing in the Beauty of Budapest

This is more like it...It is 10:30pm and I am finally sitting down to write about our day.  I am sitting in the lobby cafe of the Hotel Arena.  I was hoping for a slice of pizza, but the kitchen is closed...and so, It is a Coca Light for me tonight.  (about a dozen of the kids got their orders in before it closed!)  We have had an amazing day.

Our wake-up call was at 7am this morning.  I make it a habit of following up the auto-call with a personalized message from one of the chaperons.  Today, it was me.  I was up and ready for the day.  I am pretty sure that almost all of the rooms were awake when I called, but some of the kids sounded a little groggy.  A few minutes later, Mr. Jones and I headed down for breakfast.  European hotel breakfasts are among my favorite breakfasts.  The spread is usually huge.  The Hotel Arena is no exception. There are a plethora of options.  This morning, I only made two trips.  My first trip was scrambled eggs, two breakfast sausages, and a vegetable medley in paprika sauce.  For my second trip, I opted for something a little more conventional.  I grabbed a sandwich roll and some ham, salami, and cucumbers. It might sound a little strange, but it was delicious.  As Mr. Jones and I sat to eat, we were greeted by all of the other chaperons and the kids....we didn't need to chase anyone around.  I really helps set a positive vibe when the kids, and adults, are on time and awake.

We left the hotel at 9am.  Our local guide met us at the hotel and narrated our trip into the city.  Of course, we had some great photo opportunities.

Our first stop was Heroes Square.  The plaza is a really large and open space.  It is one the outskirts of the city part.  There are two monuments with statues of former Hungarian Kings. In the center, there is a large column with a statue of the Arch Angel Gabriel upon it.  Near its base rests the tomb of unknown soldier.  I have seen many of these tombs in cities around the world and I always like to stop and reflect on the sacrifice of others.  I've been very fortunate to live the life I live and it is because of the sacrifice of many others.

Heroes Square

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The Arch Angel Gabriel

After we left the square, we made our way across the Danube River.  Our guide informed us of the rich history of this city.  It has, unfortunately, seen much conflict in its past.  The Hungarian people are a proud people, but they have also been oppressed for many years and by many different oppressors.  There are remnants of that in some of the monuments and buildings scattered about.  Budapest made a bid for the Olympics in 2024, but ultimately pulled out of contention.  It couldn't afford to build the infrastructure.  I understand, Boston was also making an Olympic bid.  I can't help but think that sometimes costs are worth it even when it is a struggle.  The people of this fine city would have cherished every single second of every event.  The Olympics stand for something that had been lost here, but was found again.

Budapest used to be two different cities...the city of Pest (Where our hotel is located) and the city of Buda (Across the Danube).  It was in Buda where the Castle was built and also the Basilica. We needed to go across the Danube to get there, but before visiting the Castle Hill, we made our way to Gellert Hill and the Statue of Liberty.  Yeah, a statue of Liberty.  I know, right...you, like me, thought that there were only four of them and that they were all in France or New York.  Well, you are partially correct.  The one here in Budapest is not the same lady, but she still stands for liberty.  She rests upon a hill that has its own unique story and I thought I would share it with you.

It is named after Saint Gerard. He came to the region to share Christianity, but the Pagans of the countryside were not ready to convert.  As a punishment, they enclosed him in a barrel with nails sticking in it and rolled him down the hill...the name stuck.  It probably didn't happen exactly like that, but the essence of the story typifies the tumultuous history of this city.  Today, besides holding the statue of liberty, the hill provides tourists with an amazing panoramic view.

Budapest's Statue of Liberty, Holding a palm leaf as a symbol of peace.

To her left, a man holding a torch...a common symbol when liberty is present.

To her right, a man slaying a dragon.

The Lady Liberty of Budapest is somewhat ironic.  She was constructed by the Soviet Union to commemorate the freedom that the USSR brought to the Hungarians at the end of World War II.  She sat, above the hill, for over 40 years of oppression.  I wondered today how our definition of freedom changes over time.

Ok...I am sorry...I got off on a bit of a tangent, you want to hear more about our trip.  I mentioned that the hill provides a great panorama of the city.

Some of the girls posing for Selfies.

The Danube to the north.

The Danube to the South

Just across from the Gellert Hill is the hill with the Buda Castle.  We headed there next, using back roads and going up and down hills.  I am not a huge fan of heights, and white knuckled the whole time.  We got off our our bus and made our way into a cute little square.  Along the way, our guide explained about the local customs, foods, and crafts available at many shops.  We also got a reminder of how small the world is...Adrianna was surprised to see her Aunt walking towards her.  They quickly hugged and caught up.  I didn't have the chance to take a picture, but I know someone took one.  A similar thing happened to me in 2013 in Killarney.  Two different tours, booked many months ago, and across many different cities...and in the same place at the same time.  I loved it.  The cute square had lots of opportunities for pictures.

The group taking pictures of St. Matthais Church

Inside St. Matthais.

Steve, the Falconer

Steve, using his head.

Brian, Maggie, and Mrs. Morando waving.

As we left this little hilltop, I noticed something really cute.  The kids were cheering for us bus driver.  (The affection they have for bus drivers is amazing on this tour...my first great Bus Driver was Zoltan in 2007.  Danny from 2013 was also amazing).  Our driver, for this tour, is Norbert.  He is great.  He earned the kids respect right away by the ease and agility he had in turning our bus around on a tight street.  Their affection for him as grown quickly...so much so that the kids don't even complain when we remind them to buckle up.  Here, they cheered for him again and I can tell he gets a kick out of it too.

Norbert took us to the city market and we had free time for souvenirs and lunch.

[Author's note: It's now 11:30pm, a group of Japanese tourists are tying to check in and a small boy, about four years old, is playing peek-a-boo with me. I don't mind the delay]

For lunch, our kids tried a variety of local foods.  Some had Langos...it's kind of a fried dough pizza contraption.  Others had Goulash...it's kind of beef stew.  I had a pork knuckle...it's kind of exactly what is sounds like.  A couple had Burger King...It's kind of disappointing, lol.

Toasted dough covered in Cinnamon.  Yummy.

Pork Knuckle and Fried.

With free time over, we hopped onto the metro and went to clean up.  There were waves of excitement as we approached the Szechenyi Bath.  Gina, our tour director, pooled our money together and purchased our entrance fees.  We entered, not knowing exactly what to expect, but things went swimmingly.  The water in a Hungarian Bath is naturally heated and supposedly has healing qualities.  I've never scientifically verified the healing claim, but the water was very warm.  It definitely was relaxing.  We visited the main pool and the interior pools.  The steam bath was too busy for me, but a few of us ventured into the sauna with temps reaching 100' Celsius.  The place was a little different than what Americans are used too.  We are so consumed with body image, and style, and preconceived notions of what is normal.  I think that the bath was a good experience for us all...not because it was relaxing, but because it reminds us that things aren't really weird, they are just different.  Europeans are not consumed with many of the same trepidation as we are...and in a way, they are more free because of it.

A couple of the girls as we were about to depart.  Behind them is one of the large pools at the bath.  The whirlpool was a hit.

The group, with Gina our Tour Director, after we were refreshed at the Bath.

We've taken a few Trams, Trolleys, and Trains in Budapest.  I love riding these modes of transportation and often try to capture them in photos.  Here are a couple of shots from the day.

A bumpy ride was too much for my selfie-taking ability.

Future Dillan?  A commuting lifestyle learned on the tracks in Budapest.

Experiencing public transportation helps us learn better travel skills.  We become more aware of safety and security. This helps us for the rest of our lives. I don't remember the first time I took the T, but I remember taking the Metro, in Paris, for the first time.  It's my guess that these kids will remember the train in Hungary.  Gina did an amazing job of orienting the kids on the train and teaching them how to use it, properly, even though the signage is hard to read because of the language barrier.  We ended up taking the train to dinner.

Norbert met us there!!!

Tonight's dinner was really good.  It was more chicken in paprika sauce, but it was served over gnocchi.  For dessert, we had crepes.  I apologize for not posting photos, but I've been so hungry that I'm half done before realizing that I didn't take a picture.  I promise to have more food.

After everyone ate, we departed for our evening cruise on the Danube.  I know many of you have already witnessed this because many of the kids Face-time'd home.  Regardless, here are a couple of pictures from the voyage.

Europe's most beautiful Parliament building

Buda Castle and St. Matthais Church

It's nearing midnight here.  I am surrounded by teenagers, but not Saugonians.  I think they are Hungarian.  They came into the hotel, probably from the nearby Sports Arena (There is an event tonight), and I think they are awaiting a ride.  They are sharing their pictures, and laughing, and being kids...I can't understand anything that they are saying, but I don't mind...they remind me of our kids.  There is something about freedom that translates.  The people of Budapest had to look, with irony, at a statue dedicated to Freedom for forty years.  They feigned smiles to the Russians who occupied their city and forced them to vote.  They pretended that statue meant something.  In 1956, they tried to capture real freedom, but failed.  In 1989, they achieved it.  The collapse of the Soviet Union has had a tremendous impact on the world, but also on real people.  I asked some kids to think about this on the cruise tonight.  To think about freedom and how it has impacted their lives.  Whether is is going to a sporting event, a concert, or traveling to a foreign country, the notion of freedom has many different definitions.  I think it is important to know that in 1989, after the USSR collapsed, the people of Budapest changed the inscription at the base of their statue of liberty.  They removed the references to heroic Soviet Soldiers who liberated the Hungarian people and, instead, wrote a commemoration of all of those who gave their lives to freedom, independence, and the prosperity of their nation.

Tomorrow, we embark on a bus ride to Vienna.  We are all excited to explore a new nation, to taste new foods, and to find new ways to define freedom, but we will be sad to leave this city...a hidden jewel in the crown of European capitals.  It has been 10 years since I've visited this city, when Zoltan was my first amazing bus driver, but it will not take that long for me to be back.

Mr, Lavoie, heading up to the fourth floor and to bed, excited for what's to come...good night.